Skip to main content

‘Airwriting’ glove lets you text by writing in the air

airwriter
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The increasing number of gesture-control technologies being introduced these days means that a time may actually come when you can control your whole house with just the wave of a hand. Hot on the heels of the MYO armband that lets you control Macs and PCs through gesture is the “Airwriting” glove – a glove that gives you the power to compose emails and text messages by writing on, you guessed it, air. 

The glove, developed by researchers from the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie in Germany, contains sensors that record hand movements. A computer system captures and decodes those movements. It has the capacity to differentiate between gestures meant to spell words and random, unrelated gestures, so you can wear the glove just fine and airwrite whenever you like while doing something else. “All movements that are not similar to writing, such as cooking, doing laundry, waving to someone, are ignored,” Doctorate student Christoph Amma, one of the developers, said on airwriter’s press release. “The system runs in the background without interpreting every movement as computer input.”Amma believes that the technology could eventually be incorporated into clothing – like a wristband – for everyday use.

The system currently recognizes capitalized letters and has a total vocabulary of 8,000 words. But, since the glove is just a prototype, it’s nowhere near perfect. It has an 11 percent error rate that goes down to 3 percent the more you use it and the more the system gets used your movements. Amma and fellow developer Professor Tanja Schultz recently received the Google Faculty Research Award worth $81,000, meant to be used to develop the technology for mobile devices, which means that in the future, America’s fastest texter could also be the the nation’s best charades player. 

Mariella Moon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…
The 5 best Wi-Fi adapters for PC in 2024
The Ugreen AC1300 Wi-Fi adapter in a desktop PC.

Whether you're designing it yourself or getting a pre-built PC, it can be easy to get a computer and realize that it doesn't have a native Wi-Fi adapter. Or, maybe it does, but you're internet speeds are getting faster, game downloads are getting bigger, you've already upgraded your router and need an adapter to match your newfound power requirements. No matter the situation, an external Wi-Fi adapter that you can add to your PC setup or even laptop setup will be worth your time. Here, we investigate the best Wi-Fi adapters for PC use. Most are incredibly affordable and just snap into a free USB port and start working.
The best Wi-Fi adapter for PC in 2024

Buy the

Read more
How to pin a website to the taskbar in Windows
A man sits, using a laptop running the Windows 11 operating system.

Windows includes many interesting tools, but if you’re like many people, more and more of your digital life is happening in your web browser and nowhere else. That being the case, you’ll want to keep your most important websites close at hand. The easiest way to access them in Windows is the Start menu and the taskbar, treating them more or less like programs in and of themselves.

Although easy overall, getting a website from your browser to your taskbar is slightly different depending on which browser you’re using.

Read more
This LG 34-inch QHD gaming monitor is discounted from $1,000 to $529
The LG UltraGear monitor on a table.

If you want a top-tier display to go with your gaming PC, check out the 34-inch LG UltraGear QHD curved gaming monitor. Not only will it be a worthy screen for your powerful gaming desktop, but it's also currently on sale from Walmart with a $471 discount that nearly halves its price to just $529 from $1,000. We're not sure how much time is remaining before this offer expires, but like most monitor deals of this caliber, it will probably end sooner than you think. Buy it now if you don't want to miss out.

Why you should buy the 34-inch LG UltraGear QHD curved gaming monitor
Gamers who are playing the best PC games should have a screen that will let you appreciate modern graphics. That's certainly the case with the 34-inch LG UltraGear QHD curved gaming monitor, as its quad HD resolution promises sharp details and lifelike colors, while its curved screen fills your peripheral vision for more immersive gameplay. The gaming monitor also features a 144Hz refresh rate, which is at the top of our computer monitor buying guide's recommended range, and 1ms response time. With these specifications, you'll enjoy smooth movements and quick reaction times, which are extremely important in multiplayer matches.

Read more